Noodling
by Castaway5
Summary: Ben and Ned are always on the lookout for a meal, but this time they might of bitten off more than they can chew.


Hey everybody, guess where I am! No, I'm not hiding under my bed, in Canada, or Pigfarts, but those were all very good guesses. I'm actually in Scotland which is why I haven't been able to update lately. The good news is I thought up this, and another idea to write about, so I'm posting this one now.

I've gone from the south of England all the way to the northern shores, and it has been quite a journey. While this story has nothing to do with Scotland, I hope you will enjoy it all the same!

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**Disclaimer: Do not try this at home!** Please read below.

Noodling is fishing for catfish using only bare hands. It can result in superficial cuts and minor wounds to the noodler. There can be a danger of drowning, a person with confident swimming abilities may be caught off guard by the sudden added strain of carrying a large fish to the surface. The largest danger posed to noodlers are other forms of aquatic life found in catfish holes. (Alligators, snakes, beavers, and snapping turtles)

This practice was often used during the Great Depression to obtain a meal.

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The sun shone brightly over the small stream. Dragonflies flitted around water lilies and unseen frogs croaked loudly in the summer heat. Trees lined the banks, and the stream meandered through hills into a decent sized pool, which glinted in the sunlight.

All of this was interrupted by a blonde headed boy appearing at the top of one of the hills. His face lit up as he saw the small pool and he took a step forward, not noticing where he was stepping. His foot came down in-between two rocks and he tripped, sending his body head over heel down the hill, coming to a stop with a splash and a groan.

He was lying in the shallows of the pool, completely soaked, but for the most part un-hurt. Up on the hill, a black Labrador appeared, as he trotted down to the water and stopping next to his master. Then the dog bent his head and began lapping up the water.

The boy blinked water from his eyes and swept a hand to move his hair back from restricting his vision. "Thanks for checking to see if I was alright mate. Don't worry, I haven't broken anything, only gained a few bruises."

The dog paused with what he was doing and looked at the boy, before bounding over to his friend and jumped on top of his, pushing him back into the water. The boy couldn't help but begin to laugh, his annoyance disappearing rapidly. "Alright, alright, you can get off me now, I need a drink."

The lad pushed his dog off and stood up out of the shallows and splashed to a spot that wasn't muddy with movement. Kneeling, he scooped up a handful of water and drank deeply, then repeated the process several time, until his thirst was abated. Then he staggered over to a spot on the banks where his dog, Ned, waited for him.

He sat down on the banks and shook his head, sending drops of water every which-way. He was poorly clad and slightly sun burned, and was looking around the area with a blue-eyed intensity that no other boy his age ever had.

"Well we've solved the water problem," he finally said aloud.

"_But Ben, there's still the food problem_." Finished the dog silently.

"Aye."

Both beings sat quietly, surveying their surroundings.

"_There's probably fish in the pool_." Stated the dog after a moment.

"But with no fishing pole we're out of luck." Replied the boy.

"_You could noodle_." Suggested the black hound.

The boy gave his dog a look. "You can't be serious."

The Labrador returned the look. "_What's wrong with my idea? It's a fine idea!_"

The boy rolled his eyes and stood up. "Fine, I'll try it, but if I lose my fingers because of your fine idea your not getting any of the fish I catch."

He stepped over to the water's edge and wagged his tail, licking his chops. "_Catfish for dinner tonight, seasoned with a bit of irony_!"

The lad chuckled as he removed his shoes and socks and waded up to his waist in the water. Carefully, he began feeling around with his feet for a hole in the pool-bed. After a few minutes, he found a sandy patch and a second later a hole about two feet wide.

"Found one!" he shouted over to his dog and took a deep breath before diving down. His feet broke water as he shoved his arm down the hole and wiggled his fingers. It only took a second, and that was when Ben realized that he had bitten off more than he could chew. "_Ned_!" he thought frantically as his arm was pulled down further into the hole.

Inside the hole, was the monster of all catfish had its mouth clamped firmly shut over the boy's arm, twisting from side to side. Ben had the fish by the gills from the inside, but this it seemed was what was enraging the fish.

Ben tried with all his might to yank his arm free, but it was no use. Bubbles were escaping from his mouth and he couldn't see anything. Suddenly something big bumped into him. Ned! The dog stuck his head into the hole and sank his teeth into the monster. Then he pushed up and the both of them broke the surface.

The youth, with the help of the dog, dragged the still thrashing creature to the bank. Ben dropped to the ground and put his weight against the fish. Minutes passed by while the fish struggled, and while Ben and Ned breathed heavily and applied pressure. Finally, the giant catfish ceased all movement.

Gritting his teeth, Ben began to wiggle his arm out of the fish's mouth. It was slow going but eventually, his arm was free. A trickle of blood ran freely down his arm, but he ignored it as he inspected the rest of the damage. A few scrapes and raw patches, but besides the small cut he was fine. He quickly washed it in the pool and ripped a piece of his shirt off to use as a bandage.

Then he turned and looked at the fish.

* * *

The fire burned brightly in the darkness. The aroma of cooking fish wafted around the banks of the pool. The fish was speared with three sharp sticks and was suspended over the flames by another eight sticks that were buried in the dirt.

The boy and dog watched the fish cook; they had not eaten since the morning before. Ben surveyed his and Ned's catch. It was easily four times the size he had thought he was going to catch. He wasn't even aware that catfish grew to be this big. Until now that is.

He shook his head in amazement. His dog might be happy he was eating catfish, but Ben was just glad the catfish wasn't eating him.

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I got this idea listing to a Stuff you should Know podcast in the car in England. Cool huh? Feedback would be great to tell me what you think!


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